– Carlos Illescas obtained documents that show the investigation of Frances Hernandez, an illegal immigrant who caused a fatal crash into an ice cream shop, was horribly troubled.

– I have a story about former call-girl ring madam Brenda Stewart pleading guilty in federal court to tax evasion, meaning the legal cases against the owners of the Denver Sugar/Denver Players escort service are almost done.

– Carlos Illescas also reports that Aurora officials have agreed to pay $150,000 to the family of a man killed by police in March.

2. AROUND COLORADO: The Boulder Daily Camera reports that a woman in its city has been charged with felony extortion after police said she threatened to call immigration authorities on a man unless he paid her hundreds of dollars following an accident in which she was apparently at fault.

Also:

– The Aspen Times reports that the mystery cat-dumper of the Western Slope has struck again, this time leaving 20 cats at a shelter in Glenwood Springs — bringing the total number of cats in mass drop-offs at shelters in Aspen, Glenwood Springs and Rifle this year to 58.

– The Pueblo Chieftain says that former Colorado Springs police chief Luis Velez is now the top cop in Pueblo.

– The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that officials at Memorial Hospital have agreed to pay $700,000 to settle the lawsuit of an undocumented immigrant whose child suffered severe brain damage during delivery at the hospital.

3. AROUND THE NATION: What the heck was going on at Rupert Murdoch’s British tabloid News of the World? After breaking the news that the publication hired private investigators to hack into the voicemails of not just celebrities and politicians but also murder victims, London’s The Guardian is now reporting Scotland Yard uncovered evidence that a News of the World reporter allowed the use of company resources to help two murder suspects — including one man who was apparently on News of the World’s payroll — spy on the detective investigating them. For reaction closer to home, The New York Times gawks thoroughly at the unfolding scandal, while also offering a thoughtful take on whether Murdoch is totally hosed.

Also:

– The Los Angeles Times reports that the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — facing heat over a botched gun-tracking investigation that lost track of its guns and allowed them to end up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels — has placed some blame on the FBI and DEA, alleging they used cartel figures as paid informants and never told him.

– The Washington Post writes about a man carrying a hammer and a shotgun who violently smashed up a speed-camera vehicle parked along a major Maryland freeway, much to the terror of the state contractor sitting in the vehicle at the time.

– In a development that might quicken the artificially amped-up hearts of a few professional athletes, The New York Times tells us that a Canadian doctor who has treated sports stars including Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez pleaded guilty to bringing unapproved drugs into the U.S., including some that are considered banned performance-enhancers.